batmantheanimatedseriesfandomcom-20200214-history
Zatanna (episode)
| season = 1 | number = 50 | image = File:ZatannaTC.jpg | imagewidth = 250 | airdate = February 2, 1993 | director = Dick Sebast Dan Riba | writer = Paul Dini | story = | teleplay = | music = Peter Tomashek Nerida Tyson-Chew | previous1 = The Man Who Killed Batman | next1 = Robin's Reckoning Part I | previous2 = Paging the Crime Doctor | next2 = The Mechanic }} Zatanna is an episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It introduces Zatanna to the series and she became the first character from outside the Batman mythos to make a guest appearance. "Zatanna" was the 54th produced episode and the 50th episode aired. Synopsis When the glamorous magician Zatanna is framed for a robbery during her act, Batman swings to her defense. Zatanna is grateful though a little puzzled by the Dark Knight's commitment to prove her innocence, but the two heroes unite and use the skills her father, Zatara, taught them to expose and combat an evil illusionist. Plot There is a magic show in Gotham City and Zatanna is the main event. She delights the audience with amazing magic tricks. Among the crowd, Alfred and Bruce watch the show. Alfred reminds Bruce of how many time has passed since he last saw Zatanna and Bruce recalls his time training with the great magician John Zatara, father of Zatanna. Under the name of John Smith, a young Bruce Wayne trained with Zatara the art of escaping. During the last day with the magician, Bruce performed an almost impossible and broke his record time. Zatanna watched the performance and before her father or Bruce noticed her she hid in a vanishing case. Zatara congratulated "John" for his performance and told him that he taught him some of his most personal secrets. Before leaving, Zatara pulled his daughter out of the case and she dropped in Bruce's arms and Zatara left them both alone. Zatanna had a crush on "John" and she tried to persuade him to stay with them for the rest of the tour, but Bruce told her that he needed to leave for Japan and promised to write. Zatanna asked for a last hug before he leaves and he agreed, but she placed a handcuff on "John" in order to make him lose his plane. Zatanna turned her back for a moment and told Bruce that if he was a good escapist, that handcuffs wouldn't be any trouble, but as soon as she turned around to face him, Bruce was gone and Zatanna was sadddened. For the last act of the show, Zatanna called two special guests: Irving Faucewater, the manager of the Gotham Mint Bank and Montague Kane, a wealthy adventurer whose hobby is debunking magicians' acts. Zatanna prepares to make the whole bank disappear with ten million dollars inside. Montague is sure that the trick is impossible but when Zatanna makes the bank disappear in front of everybody, he concedes. Zatanna then make the bank reappear but this time, the money inside was gone. The manager of the bank called the police to arrest Zatanna for stealing the money from the bank. Alfred and Bruce knew that Zatanna couldn't have done that and Bruce decides to help her old friend. Zatanna is placed in a police car and taken to the station, when Batman appears and forces the door to help Zatanna escape. The car arrives at the station but it is empty. Batman tells Zatanna that he rescued her because he used to admire her father's work and that he didn't believed that she stole the money. They decide to go to the bank to examine the crime scene to find more clues. Once there, they find evidence that suggests that the money was taken using a magic trick, just like the one Zatanna used for making the bank disappear. They realize that it was the work of another magician or someone who knows very well how magicians work. The obvious suspect is Kane and they leave the bank in order to go to the man's house. Once inside, they fall in a trap door with closing spiked walls. Batman manages to take them out of the trap just before the walls crushed them. After looking for clues in Kane's home, Batman deduces the whereabouts of the thief. Kane is leaving Gotham in his seaplane, but before he leaves, Batman and Zatanna confront him inside the plane. With help of two of his goons, Kane takes control of the situation and chains Batman and Zatanna together back-to-back and prepares to drop the in the ocean from his plane. Batman tells Zatanna to grab some lockpicks from his hand and he calls her "Zanna", just like he used to do when they were young. Kane drops them both from the plane, but Batman manages to grab a length of webbing with his foot that prevents them from falling down. They manage to escape their chains and they return to the plane. Kane, who almost fell down as well, tells his henchmen to get rid of them. Batman and Zatanna were on one of the plane's wings trying to stay on board. Kane notices the situation and tries to steer the plane so they both fall down, but Batman moves the plane's wings to make it more stable. Kane's goons try to fight them, but Batman makes the fall off the plane into the ocean, while Zatanna goes into the plane to deal with Kane. Zatanna delivers a knockout punch and they take Kane to the police. Before departing, Zatanna asks "John" what happened in his life for him to become Batman and he answers that it is all due to a painful memory and a promise made long ago. Zatanna tells him that her father would be proud of him. Batman offers her a ride but she disappears with a explosion, leaving only a good-bye note, telling "John" to don't forget to write. Batman smiles as he reads the note and nods silently. Cast Category:Season 1 Category:Episodes Category:Directed by Dick Sebast Category:Directed by Dan Riba Category:Written by Paul Dini Category:Animation by Dong Yang Animation Category:Minor Villains Episodes Category:Character Debut Episodes